PB12 datawindow can't handle large text column (?)

[Former Member]

One datawindow in our PB12 application shows no data in a large text field.  It shows OK on the same database in PB9.

The other difference is that it displays OK when I use a SQL Server 7 database which was the source for the 2005 one. 

In the painter, the column is 4389 pb units wide in both databases, and in the db painter the display width is 0.000 for both.  But it sure does "feel" wider in the 2005 one.  That is when I select the column in the painter and then ctrl/left arrow to get a reasonable display, I have to do it for many seconds longer in the 2005 db before the right margin appears.  What determines the default length of a text column in the datawindow?  The actual data in the databases is never any longer than 20 or 30 characters.

When I create simple new datawindows with the troublesome column, SOMETIMES, I see the data, but with the left characters cut off.  But that usually goes away pretty fast with subsequent attempts to get a nice column width.

Any advice?

TIA

LAS

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

The problem can be solved by removing the offending column from the SQL
Select datasource and re-adding it.  I had removed and re-added from the
display, but that doesn’t do it.

It looks like PB12 fixes a “bug” that PB9 wasn’t bothered by.  Probably
some klugey work-around instead of an elegant fix…. Which breaks existing
datawindows….

In PB9, when a text column is added to the SQL Select of a datawindow, its
default width, as shown in the “column specifications” is 4099.  But if you
select the column in the display, it has a width of 4389.  If you narrow the
display, the 4389 figure changes, but the “column specifications” doesn’t, which
makes sense.  But 4389 is too big for a 4099 width column.  I suspect PB12
coughs on that and PB9 had a work around.

If you create a fresh datawindow, the text column specification shows
32766, way larger than the default display width of 4389.

I’m afraid I originally erroneously reported that the problem persisted in
a fresh datawindow.  I can’t imagine how I experienced that…  But it sent me
down bad paths.

I have no explanation for why this problem happens using a sql server 2005
database, but not with a sql server 7 database, using exactly the same
datawindow.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Again ... most likely Unicode vs ANSI (SS7). That means that 4389 bytes of text in S7 is actually 8778 in SS2005 and since both SS2005 and PB 12.x are UTF-16LE - the DBMS transmits all the 8778 now to the DWO.

BTW: Do you use the SCN client to connect to SS?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Yes, SCN.

Good point about 64 bits.  I'll see if I can find out if it's a problem on a 32 bit machine.

[Former Member]

Sounds like a driver issue.

[Former Member]

Hi Laurel;

Sounds like a data migration problem from SS7 (ANSI) to SS2005 (Unicode) maybe?

BTW: What DB driver are you using to connect to SS2005?

Regards ... Chris